The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-08-12

he pulled out from under the hatch
covering). and Tad meditated.
"Strike eight bells. Mr.. Small. and
call the watch!'' shouted Captain Flagg,
in stentorian voice, as q glance ut his
old-fashioned time-picce showed that il
was four O'Clock p. m.
The chief mate shut up his jack-knife
reluctantly, rose to his feet. and, dust
ling of his tarry trousers with great de-
liberation, struck eight resounding
strokes on the small bell for ard. Then.
lounging aft, he relieved the wheel,
and. seated on the ruddcr-head. steered
with one hand, while the other absently
fingered his jack-knife in his pocket.
Captain Flagg now t,>ok \ seat on the
edge Of the little trunk cabin. yawned,
squinted his eye toward the western
horizon, where the sun was going down
in a great sea Of purple and gold. and
patronizingly beckoned to Tad. who.
with some difiidence, sat down beside
the ancient mariner.
Like your shipmstes in the port
watch pretty well. my ladP" inquired
the Captain. kindly.
With a shy glance at unconscious
Polly. who was tantalizing Bounce by
swinging the big sun-bonnet by the
strings, before his nose, Tad said he
liked EN- ever so much.
"That's proper" approvingly re-
sponded Captain Flagg. land mind that
you learn all you can from 'em. Eph
is a tremen'us smart sailor" continued
the Captain, lowering his voice as he
regarded the youth in question, '.and
what he don't know about ships du-
ties and reggerlations amt worth
knowin'."
As Tad's eyes involuntarily followed
the direction Of the Captains gaze. he
secretly wondered whether it was &C.
centricity that prompted Mr.. Small to
wear a faded calico shirt, battered
SLOUGH hat. tattered vest and dingy
canvas trousers. For Tad's idea Of a
sailors rig was derived from the one
or two highly-wrought nautical tales
which he had read in his life. He
fancied that in all climates and wealth.
ers, Jack Tar wore little glazed black
hat with long ribbons. and blue jack
ct respondent with brass buttons, blue
trousers, silk stockings and low-quar.
tered shoes.
but he's the-the greatest chap to
white ever see in my life." pursued
Captain Flagg, meditatively-"the rery
greatest"
Polly. who overheard the remark,
laughed gayly in the depths Of her sun
bonnet.
Hes got half a bunch Of loose shin.
gles in the bottom of his bunk, that he
| saved from our last deck-load, and
takes out fresh one every time he goes
below-that's where George Washing.
ton gets his kindlings for the galley
stove FROM" she remarked, demurely.
1.-The most I'm afeared Of" observed
her father. in a confidential whisper,
'.is that his usin' of jack-knife SC
much might get the vessel into some
sech 4 scrape rs the Of British East
Indy ship .Win'sor Castle goa into
once whilst was sailor"
"What was that, sir?" eagerly in.
quired Polly. knowing full well what a
repository for the material out of which
sea-yarns were spun was her father
manly chest.
well" slowly returned the Captain,
''near's l can remember. the story's
this: The ship was on her home-bound
passage from Chiny, an got becalmed
for two or three days somewhere on the
'quator. So, it bein' hot, and the sailor
to the wheel bein' absent-minded sort
of chap. what does he do but out
knife and cut his name-'James w.
Dunn'-along on the rim of the m'hog-
any wheelr' Here Captain Flagg en-
phasized the enormity of the offense by
portentous shake of the head, and
went on:
$50, when the Gap'n came on deck.
there was pretty row. He claps Jim
in irons. and d're'tly they got into
port, had him rested. and the only
way poor Jim could get out Of it was
by paying for bran'-new Wheel"
THAT was too badm INTERCEPTED Tad.
who was eagerly listening.
'Well yes" assented Captain
Flagg, who had curious way of some
times. combining the practical and
scriptural when occasion offered. '.but
it goes to show. Thaddeus, that-the-